Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-05-14

F O& Dfht - -, y, f''
eral Stoneman directing this move
Ment, which was to commence at Z
o clock on the 18th. AT the hour APP
pointed Stoneman set out upon his
task, but IA rainstorm, which made the
river unfordable and very bad roads,
detained him until the 2Sth, when it was
TOO late to accomplish valuable results,
tor the whole army was now on the
march.
Thus the first part of Hooker's plan
mlscarried, but he made no change in
his orders to Stoneman. but allowed
him to proceed rs if he could still ac-
complish what he had been ordered to
DO, although two precious weeks had
already been lost. If the cavalry had
been ordered back to the main army
after the first failure, it is more than
probable that impending disaster to
that army would have been aycrted.
As it was the raid proved a complete
failure, accomplishing nothing what
ever.
TO carry out his plan, Hooker made
Il p%retcnse Of crossing below Frcder-
icksburg, sending three corps under
Maj Gen. Scdgwick to make demon
STATIONS against Lees right, while
three corps, the Fifth, Eleventh and
Twelfth, all under Mai Gen. Siocum,
made a detour and crossed twenty
seven miles above, Ut krlly's Ford.
The movement commenced Monday.
April y. 1t was planned with fole-
thought and excellent judgment, and
was carried IA tt the letter, Each
corps took up its line of march ut the
hour appointed for it., moved
with secrecy and celebrity,
crossed the fordS of the ~Rappahan-
mock and the Rapidan unmoleatcd,
turned eastward and gained Chancel-
lorsville, where they were %conccptra-
ted at : p m. Of Thursday, April 30,
on Lees flank, he not rs vet being
aware of their presence. This march
has received and deserves the highest
encomiums, and, leaving Stoneman's
delay out OF the question, nothing as
vet had gone wrong. On the 30th
General Hooker issued n congratulate
tory order to his army, in which he
sad that 1.-The operations Of the last
three days have determined that our
enemy must jngloriously fly or come
out from behind his denfense and give
us battle on Il OWL ground, where
certain destruction awaits him. He
has also said to have boasted that 1.-the
Army of Northern Virginia was now
'he legitimate property of the Army of
the Potomac
The three corps under Gen
eral Sickles was now also
brought round to Charlottesville,
where it arrived on Friday morning,
May /, making II total of 10000 men
concentrated at that point. Mean
time Sedgwick, with the First and
Sixth corps and Gibbons division of
the Second, comprising 10000 men.
was making demonstrations below
Fredericksburg, bridges were lait at
Burnside's old crossing places. and
every appearance of crossing ut that
point, thus dDstracting Lees attention
and making him uncertain as TO where
the main attack was To be made. But
he did not long remain in doubt. BY
the evening of the 3Oth he became sat
isiicd, from the inactiou of Scdgwick.
that the main attack was to come
from Charlottesville, and taking AL
his force but about 5000 men. which
he lett { hold Sedgwick in check, tie
advanced to deliver battle against
Hooker.
Charlottesville was Il large brick
tavern, whore important roads crossed,
surrounded 10y Il dense forest, called
the Wilderness. OF all places it is the
worst possible for a general battle. \
few miles further to the east is a crest
OF hills, running north and south. and
more open ground. 1t is very plain
that an army occupying that place
would have a commanding position
and might be able to checkmate its adj
versary. 1t was easily within Hooker's
grasp on Thursday afternoon or night.
Earthworks and abbatis could have
o rendered it ~impregnable against
any force Lee could have brought
against it. General Hooker delay ed
from Thursday at : p. m. until Friday
at IL a. m. before making al advance
to possess this important point. Lee
also was aware of that important crest
of hills, and at midnight of the 30th
hurried his forces forward to seize it.
Friday, May !. at II o'clock. Hooker's
advance out of the Wilderness began.
The movement vas in three columns,
one toward Banks Ford. the possession
Of which brings the army within
six miles Of Scdgwick. The center
column, under Sykes and Hancock,
after some slight opposition from the
enemy, gained the crest of the ridge Of
hills, and by noon bad them so strongly
occupied as to be able to hold them.
The confedoratcs were in some force in
front, but were rs yet not strong enough
to drive Sykes and Hancock away.
The other column on the right, under
Slocum, moved in the same general
direction with the other columns, and
gained a position as far advanced as
the others without meeting any oppo-
sition of moment. These three col
umns comprised about forty thousand
men. Hooker holding $4,000 IN reserve
at Charlottesville. The confederates.
- Il-oo o-xz-